As thoughts tentatively turn to a return to work, this week’s news on Halo, EG’s new tech and innovation platform, has been dominated by comment, thoughts, analysis and opinion on the post-pandemic office.
It is a topic that goes way beyond discussions around how the world of work could operate post lockdown. This is a trend that, come what may, will have a significant impact on the future of commercial real estate. From space requirements to a surge in demand for hands-free tech, the future of the office is a debate likely to rage on for many weeks, months, even years post Covid-19. But here is a round-up of what some of tech’s biggest names are saying on the matter right now. Plus, some other tech and innovation news thrown in for good measure.
Among the most arresting thoughts on the future of our offices came this week from CBRE’s newly appointed head of technology Mike Gedye. Joining EG on this week’s Tech Talk Radio podcast he said that CBRE anticipates offices will be half full for up to a year post lockdown before revealing that companies are considering the introduction of seven-day weeks to flatten utilisation peaks and troughs and are looking into reducing office and HQ sizes in the future.
See: Offices will be half empty after lockdown, says CBRE tech boos
Also commenting on the future of the office this week was head of partnerships at GoSpace Neil Usher. Sky’s former director of workplace knows a thing or two about the world of work and he was quick to urge people and companies to stop thinking about aesthetic changes to offices post lockdown. He stressed that the future of the workplace will be less about what the post pandemic office looks like, and more about how companies and individuals manage the infrastructure around a traditional approach to work where people not only commute but tend to do so at largely the same time at the start and end of each day.
See: Return to work will be a ‘perpetual experiment’ few will get right first time
As demand for hands-free tech and systems that can help companies implement social distancing looks set to spike, chief executive of Smart Spaces Dan Drogman commented on why smart tech will no longer be seen as “Sci-Fi” by the real estate sector as there is a race to make buildings as safe as possible post lockdown.
See: ‘Smart tech is not sci-fi, it will be the key to social distancing practices’
Oh, and WeWork revealed its back to work plans: WeWork reveals back-to-work plans
It wasn’t all return to work content this week as Ministry of Sound boss Jonathan Bevan joined flexible workspace provider Techspace as chief executive and Metaprop announced the hire of former Bill Gates executive Maureen Waters as a new partner.
For more of EG’s tech news, analysis and podcasts visit Halo
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